Sorry Doesn't Cut It
by xXBalorBabeXx
Summary: They were unbreakable... weren't they? Sometimes when the lines blur between character and person, it's hard to see what's left of who's in front of you. (AU, co-written with werewolf-queen-022 and Cry-Of-A-Warp-Engine)
1. Brought Crashing Down?

_**6/2/14…**_

" _There's always a plan b." Hunter said, two of the four Shield members moving towards the ropes… but Amanda barely had time to react._

 _Amanda screamed as the chair was slammed into her right side, four sickening cracks echoing from her ribcage as she fell and Seth drove the edge of the chair into her back before whacking Roman, who also fell._

 _Dean froze in horror, looking from his fallen Shield siblings to the two toned traitor. He charged at Seth but Seth whacked him repeatedly as Amanda leaned against the ropes._

" _Colby, stop!" Amanda screamed, Seth throwing the chair at her and it hitting her arms before he picked it up and bashed it into her back and the sickening cracks echoed again, Roman picking himself up and charging at Seth._

 _Seth was down, Hunter and Randy trying to keep their best poker faces._

" _Jon, get her out of here." Hunter whispered, calling Dean by his real name and Dean taking Amanda from there as Roman nodded in agreement._

 _Dean hung onto Amanda as she broke down in his arms, sobbing into his torso… she was told about the chair shots and scripted split of The Shield._

 _But Seth had been the first one to render life saving aid to her back in March when she nearly died… and on that level, it hurt._

" _I know, kiddo. Let it all out, don't keep it in…" Dean whispered as he lightly stroked her disheveled ponytail before they reached the trainers room._

 _Seth barely had time to react backstage after the four reached it before Hunter grabbed him by his throat, Seth struggling to breathe._

" _What… the fuck-" Seth struggled to choke out, Hunter punching him right in his nose._

" _Here is the fuck, Colby Daniel Lopez! I told you to only hit her twice! Not bust her back so badly that she couldn't stand or crack her ribs so that they nearly shattered to pieces! Mandy is as much a daughter to me and Stephanie as Aurora, Murphy and Vaughn are!" Hunter yelled, letting Seth go. "You better hope and pray that Mandy forgives you! If she forgives you!" He growled, storming off with Stephanie and Randy._

 _As they figured, four ribs were cracked and two were broken. Amanda had no head injury though._

 _But the worst part was how fast her upper back bruised… to Hunter, it was horribly reminiscent of Shawn's back injury._

 _He really hoped it wasn't that… and to his relief, it wasn't torn muscles or ligaments._

 _But Hunter's and the others relief was short lived… Amanda's shoulder blades were fractured badly._

 _Amanda had stopped screaming and crying, worn out completely from it as Dean held her in his arms… and Hunter and Stephanie started calling the others._

 _Randy walked over to Roman to help steady the limping Samoan._

" _It's bad, isn't it?" Roman asked, Randy nodding._

" _I hope he finds a way to fix this… or I'm gonna rip his fucking head off." Randy growled, still protective of his ex girlfriend._

" _You and me both, Randy." Roman said before they found Amanda, who was still in the trainer's room._

 _Amanda was distant, her body and mind detached from each other like she did after the double murder suicide… it was a protective mechanism of hers._

 _But they hoped she would recover fully from it…_

 **Present time,** _ **6/13/16…**_

Amanda didn't have time to brace herself as she was knocked down, yelling out as her right leg and right arm hit the mat hard.

And the second the words "Colby, you motherfucking careless asshole!" left her mouth after Dean pulled her up, Seth's eyes widened as he knew she was pissed.

Amanda shoved Dean aside and ran at Seth, knocking him down and repeatedly hitting him until she was pulled off and saw Finn and Dean as Ashley checked on Seth.

"Happy now, Ash?! See how your boyfriend treats her, how horrible he is to her?!" Finn responded angrily, holding onto Amanda.

"Finn, it was a damn accident!" Ashley yelled.

"Ní raibh aon timpiste ann, ba mhaith leis fós amach as an mbealach!" Amanda shouted before Finn, Dean and Roman got her out of the ring.

In the trainer's room, Amanda was checked over and to hers and the others relief, she was just bruised.

"She's right. That was a lot of things out there but that was no accident." Dean spoke up, Finn looking at him. "I had to drive to events with Sheamus for a while, he taught me how to speak and understand Irish." He explained, Finn nodding and turning back to Amanda, who had an ice pack taped below her right knee and one below her right elbow.

"He knew where to aim… trying to injure my knee like he injured his in November. Ash keeps saying that the injury humbled Seth but obviously, it didn't." Amanda replied as Finn lightly rubbed his right hand up and down her back.

In their locker room, Seth was packing up.

"Seth, go and tell them that it was an accident!" Ashley responded. "Please!" She begged.

"She needs time to cool off." Seth replied, turning to Ashley. "Let's go."

"No. I love you but damn it, Mandy and I grew up together and she's hurting!" Ashley said, Seth setting the bag down as Ashley walked up and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Do it and I'll give a special reward." She said before tracing her fingers down his crotch.

"You always know how to get me." Seth said, Ashley giggling before they kissed.

Seth left and headed to the locker room they were in… when he knocked on the door, Finn opened it and narrowed his eyes at Seth.

"Easy now. I'm just here to apologise to Mandy." Seth explained.

"Probably got bribed with a blowjob to try to apologise." Amanda muttered, Seth and Finn as well as the others knowing that she spoke her mind a lot.

"She didn't bribe me with that. She got me with her love." Seth responded.

"And what did I get? Knocked down to the ground because you decided _"Hey, I'll bruise her without actually hitting her! That way, she can't claim that I punched her!"_. Of course, the scar between my damn shoulder blades is proof that you've got no sibling like love left for me!" Amanda responded angrily, Finn keeping Seth from going at her.

"Make it quick, Rollins!" Finn replied, his own temper barely controlled.

"Alright, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I knocked Dean into you, I'm sorry you got hurt! Mandy, please just stop with this!" Seth apologised.

"Just go." Amanda said in a flat tone, Seth leaving and Finn closing the door before he walked over and sat down next to Amanda. "I'm glad he doesn't hurt her like her last boyfriend did but he's still an ass to us and it seems like…" She responded, trailing off as Finn brushed his right hand over her left one and his right hand resting on the side of her face. "Am I just… letting how he's treated us get in the way of things?"

"I think you're hurting. You want him to accept that things are different but he won't… and that's hurting you." Finn responded before they hugged.

She knew she could always feel safe in his arms.


	2. Trying

"I think it didn't come off as genuine to her…" Seth replied as he and Ashley sat down.

"At least you tried baby, that's all I wanted you to do." Ashley said.

"She'll calm down… at some point." Seth replied.

"Mandy can't hold a grudge forever, Seth." Ashley responded.

"She stopped speaking to Brock Lesnar for six months after he snapped Hunter's arm." Seth replied.

"We'll fix all of this. She'll move on with Finn, you with me. And then it will be rainbows, sunshine blah, blah, blah." Ashley said.

"I hope so." Seth replied before they kissed.

At the hotel later, Amanda and Finn got into their room… and both were drenched from the thunderstorm.

"Holy fuck, that's insane out there!" Amanda responded as she stripped her wet clothes, shoes and socks off and Finn handed her a towel so she could dry herself off before he stripped down himself.

"Damn right… you okay?" Finn replied, unintentionally eying the mostly naked brunette.

"Yeah, just feeling like a drowned rat." Amanda answered before she decided to go shower off after grabbing some underwear and pajamas as Finn grabbed his phone and answered it.

"Hey, Ash." Finn answered.

"Hey, you two make it back to the hotel safely?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah. Mandy's getting cleaned off, helps her feel better." Finn explained as he changed into a clean pair of boxers and pajama pants. "Have you thought about making peace with your brothers?" He asked.

"Let me think… mmm… nope." Ashley said.

"Ash, you've gotta at least try… we were there the other day and little Maxel was looking for you." Finn responded.

"Well until they pull their heads out of their asses and accepted I'm a grown woman then all they get is a pissed off me." Ashley said.

"They'll have to at some point." Finn replied.

"They're trying to look out for me though just like Mandy's brothers. Well, I'll let you and Mandy unwind, Finn." Ashley responded before they hung up.

It was about a few minutes after that when Amanda emerged from the bathroom, dried off and in her pajamas.

"No luck with them and Ash, I take it?" Amanda questioned as Finn helped her stretch out on the bed and saw her bruises before pulling the covers over her. "I still say we should lock all three in a room and let them yell at each other." She replied after he climbed under the covers.

"I wouldn't recommend that. They nearly killed each twice in the ring now." Finn responded.

"Which is why Matt went back to Ring Of Honor and Jeff went to Impact Wrestling… and the way they're treating Ash is similar to all this madness involving you, me and Seth… way too similar." Amanda replied as she rested her head on Finn's right shoulder. "Maybe if we find Dakota, Dianne or Aestrid tomorrow, maybe they have some ideas." She whispered, snuggling closer as his arms wrapped around her and it wasn't long before they fell asleep.

Unable to sleep, Seth found himself in the hotel bar with Charlotte sitting next to him.

"At least you've got a good relationship… Alberto said he doesn't want anything serious with me!" Charlotte slurred.

"She's pretty good. Gives me what I want and she's great in bed." Seth said.

"I just… argh, I feel like I can't make it work! But you've got one you need to hold onto… just stop driving Mandy insane, alright? You'll keep Ashley longer!" Charlotte responded.

"I drive Mandy insane, where'd you hear that?!" Seth asked.

"Sami and Kota." Charlotte answered before stumbling off to her room and Seth walked to Sami and Dakota.

"What's that look for?" Dakota asked as Seth sat down.

"Which one of you said that I drive Mandy insane?" Seth questioned.

"I did. And you know it's true, Seth." Sami answered.

"I'm trying to make things better and you know who's helping with that, Ashley Hardy." Seth said.

"We hope that works but you have to put in effort too, Mandy could've gotten seriously hurt tonight!" Dakota responded.

"I'm gonna try better than that." Seth said.

He headed back to the room and stripped down to his boxers, climbing into the bed and wrapping an arm around a sleeping Ashley.

But he couldn't help but think back…

 _ **10/9/15, Performance Centre…**_

 _Amanda was strengthening her arms and getting lost into her workout when an infuriated Seth walked in and pulled her off the bars._

" _Fuck!" Amanda yelled as she landed wrong and twisted her right ankle before standing back up and looking at Seth. "What the fuck did you do that for?!" She demanded._

" _You told Matt about me and Ash!" Seth shouted._

" _Why the fuck would I? You know, as startled as I was by it, I didn't go to either Matt or Jeff about it!" Amanda responded, Seth not believing her and stopping her when she tried to go find Finn. "Get off me!" She shouted, shoving Seth back… and Seth backhanded her across the face._

" _You really should've picked your next-" Seth shouted before he was thrown at the wall by Finn, who had his right arm pressed against Seth's throat._

" _I don't care how fucking angry you are, you keep your damn hands off her! She didn't tell them!" Finn growled threateningly, punching Seth before throwing him down._

" _Someone has tipped them off!" Seth yelled._

" _Look around you and Ash next time you're out in public, people will take any opportunity to expose a secret!" Amanda shouted as Seth stood up._

" _Fucking fans!" Seth growled._

 _Seth stormed off and Finn turned to Amanda and got her to sit down before putting her right ankle in his lap… he moved her foot slightly and she hissed in pain as Aestrid and Ashley walked in and over to them._

" _Put that dickwad on a leash, Ash. He pulled Mandy off the bars and then hit her!" Finn responded, handing a few tissues to Amanda, who put them on her lower lip._

" _Call him that again and I'll tie you ass down and Swanton Bomb you from the tallest ladder I can get my hands on!" Ashley threatened._

" _Oh but you're gonna ignore Seth treating me like a fucking punching bag?!" Amanda yelled._

" _Give him some time, he's changing!" Ashley yelled._

" _He's not fucking changing! She wouldn't have wounds, bruises and scars if he was!" Aestrid shouted, Ashley turning to her. "My old man nearly killed my mom, Kyle nearly killed you, you want Seth killing Mandy?!" She responded, Ashley storming off and Aestrid going to get an ice pack._

" _I fucking meet someone who's nice to me and this is the thanks I get?!" Ashley muttered._

 _Amanda lowered her head, Finn getting her to look at him._

" _I'm scared he's gonna hurt her…" Amanda admitted as she brushed her tears away, Finn pulling her into his arms and the two holding each other…_

 **Present time…**

Amanda's sleepy eyes opened early the next morning as she kept her right arm to her side… and Finn knew she was guarding it.

"I'm through giving him second chances… he's just gonna hurt me again." Amanda responded quietly as Finn held her. "And I swear to god if Ash tells me one more time to give it some time, I'm going to punch her."

"You're serious." Finn replied.

"Damn right I am." Amanda responded as her head settled onto his shoulder.

At the same time, Ashley was opening her eyes and saw Seth half awake… resting her left hand on him, she felt him shaking.

"Seth baby, what's wrong?" Ashley asked.

"Nightmare…" Seth muttered.

"About Mandy?" Ashley questioned, Seth nodding.

"I take it she's never told you… Ash, she nearly died two years ago. When I woke up in the middle of the night, she was having a seizure… and throughout that day, two more followed." Seth responded, Ashley's eyes widening in shock.

"She did?! From what?!" Ashley exclaimed.

"Doctors couldn't figure out… one day, she was perfectly healthy and the next, she had this headache she couldn't get rid of. Everything they tested her for came back clean… and they said that these things do happen out of the blue at times." Seth explained as they held each other.

Ashley knew that it was true.


End file.
